China People's Daily: "The relationship between China and North Korea has reached its lowest point since 1953." [Purp]

China has its difficulties in dealing with the North Korean issue. The US and its military allies have enhanced their strategic deployment around the peninsula. Such military deployments exert huge negative impact on China's security interests. However, China cannot blame the US for making these deployments because according to the US, these arrangements are aimed at North Korea.

China has to punish North Korea for its stirring up regional instability. But China cannot permanently cut off its military assistance to North Korea as the West is trying to persuade China to do.

In short, we cannot simply "abandon" North Korea. No matter the nature of the regime in North Korea, China always has security interests in the Korean Peninsula.

Beijing has already adjusted its policies toward North Korea. Targeting North Korea's unfriendly actions, which have threatened peace on the peninsula, China has issued warnings and punishments. The relationship between China and North Korea has reached its lowest point since 1953.

Couple of takeaways here:

1) The PRC very explicitly did NOT condemn, or even mildly rebuke, US repositioning in response to DPRK saber rattling, indeed they're excusing it as a perfectly reasonable response.

2) The US rational for repositioning was accepted at face value without question -- which implies the DPRK are in fact crazy loons from the PRC's POV.

3) The " North Korea's unfriendly actions, which have threatened peace on the peninsula" language is unequivocal. The PRC is explicitly blaming the DPRK for being crazy loons inconveniently stirring shit up.

I'm guessing this is why the DPRK backed down a couple of days ago. They twisted the tiger's tail once too often and caught a face full of sharp claws.